How to Repair Porches

Porches are a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by and to entertain. Many people use their porch to cook on an outdoor grill. But over time, cracks and splits can appear in the wood planks due to wear and tear, as well as exposure to the elements. When planks become damaged, they are hazardous to walk on and may not support furniture or outdoor cooking equipment. Repair porches before they get to that stage.

Safety glasses
Circular saw
Claw bar
Hammer and nails
Screw gun and wood screws
Sander
Waterproof wood sealant
Brush

Instructions

- 1
  Identify which wood planks on the porch are damaged and need to be replaced.
- 2
  Measure the width and thickness of the planks with a tape measure -- for instance, 1 inch thick by 5 inches wide. Purchase the needed amount of lumber in the same size, getting the length as close as possible to the existing plank in order to reduce waste.
- 3
  Look under the porch to identify where the floor joists run so not to damage the joists as you repair the planks. If the underside of the porch is not accessible, place a piece of cardboard between the planks and run it along the gaps to find the joists.
- 4
  Put on safety glasses and set a circular saw blade to the thickness of the porch planks. Cut into the damaged plank, sawing length-ways so as not to cut into the floor joists running perpendicular to the planks. This will also keep the adjacent planks from being damaged.
- 5
  Place a claw bar into the cut and slide it to the nearest joist to have a fulcrum to push on the damaged plank. Pry the cut plank up and discard.
- 6
  Set the new planks into place and secure to the exposed joists with a hammer and nails or screw gun and screws.
- 7
  Sand the new planks to remove any splinters, then apply a coat of waterproof wood sealant to the planks with a brush.

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